Starting device for mowers.



J. C. OLIVA.

STARTING DEVICE FOR MOWERS.

APPLIoATIoN FILED MAR. 25.1909.

.Paentd Deo. 14,1909.

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www. I4 umm e9. Pima-ummm wunlnum n c J. C. OLIVA. STARTING DEVICE P012.MoWBRs. APPLICATIOH FILED MAR.25,1909.

Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

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JOHN O. OLIVA.,

OF IVIARENGO,

IOWA.

STARTING DEVICE FOB MOWERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. I4, 1909.

Application filed March 25, 1909. Serial No. 485,595.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. OLIVA, a citizen of the United States,residing at Marengo, in the county of Iowa and State of Iowa, haveinvented a certain new and useful Starting Device for Mowers, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention is especially adapted for use in connection with mowers. Itmay, however, be advantageously used in connection with all kinds ofmachinery designed to be operated or driven by power from a tractionwheel.

In the use of mowing machines and other devices operated by a tractionwheel, it is well known that it is very difficult to start the machineryin operation, and that it requires a much less amount of power tocontinue the operation of the machine after it is started. For instance,in a mowing machine and assuming that the sickle-bar has been stopped inposition adjacent to the grass or grain being cut, then when the moweris again started, t-he lost motion in the traction wheels and gearingdevices makes it necessary that the mower be advanced a short distancebefore the sicklebar makes a complete stroke. This causes the sickle-barto become filled with the grass or grain before a stroke is taken, andas there is no moment-um to the sickle-bar, it is practically impossibleto start a mowing machine from a position close to the grass or grain tobe cut. Heretofore it has been the'practice of operators of machines ofthis kind after they have stopped the machine in the grass or grain tobe cut to first back the machine a few feet over the previously cutgrass or grain before starting, so that the sickle-bar may attain amomentum before it engages with uncut grass or grain, and this necessityfor backing each time after stopping causes a considerable waste of timeand is annoying to the operator.

My object is to provide means of simple, durable and inexpensiveconstruction designed to be attached to any machine operated by powerfrom the traction wheels whereby when the draft animals start forwardlythe t-raction wheels will remain stationar i, but the machinery operatedby the traction wheels will be started before the traction wheels beginto move, so that in machinery such, for instance, as mowers thesickle-bar will be started and will have one or more strokes completedbefore the machine begins to advance, so that the mower may be startedwhen the sickle-bar is close to the uncut grass or grain with a lessamount of power than is required to start an ordinary mower, notprovided with my attachment, even when moving over previously cut grassor grain.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combinationof the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated areattained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claimsand illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l shows atop or plan view of a mower provided with an attachment embodying myinvention, part of the gear casing of the mower being shown in sectionto illustrate the gearing device. Fig. Q shows a detail, sectional viewillustrating a modified form of the device for turning the axle of thetraction wheels forwardly by means of a manually operated lever. Fig. 3shows an enlarged, detail view illustrating l the guide for supportingthe pawl shown in Fig. 2. Fig. el shows an enlarged, detail, sectionalview on the line t--l of Fig. l. Fig. 5 shows a plan view of a mowerwith a modified form of my invention applied thereto. Fig. 6 shows asectional view of same on the line 6*@ of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 shows a detailview of the modified form of the device for moving the axle of thetraction wheels, and-*Fig S shows a detail, sectional view of theratchet device interposed between the axle and the traction wheel.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used the referencenumeral l0 to indicate the axle of the traction wheels. Mounted upon theends of the axle are the traction wheels 1l and arranged between thetraction wheels and the axle is the ratchet device 12 shown in Fig. 8and so arranged that the machine may be backed without turning the axleand when the machine is advanced the axle will be turned with thewheels. This ratchet device also permits the axle to be rotated in thedirection required for operating the machinery connected with it withoutrotating the wheels.

The sickle-bar is indicated by the reference numeral 13 and is connectedwith the pitman la. This pitman is driven by means of a crank 15 on theshaft 16 and said shaft 16 is connected with the axle l0 by means of thelarge pinion 17 on the axle, a small pinion 18 in mesh with it, abeveled pinion 19 connected with the small pinion and a beveled pinion2O in mesh with the pinion 19.

All of the parts just described are of the ordinary construction now incommon use in mowers and hence a detailed description thereof isunnecessary.

My attachment comprises a ratchet wheel 21 fixed to the axle 10 andpreferably inclosed in the casing 22 which is provided with an openingdesigned to receive a pawl 23. Said pawl is designed to engage with theratchet wheel, and, when the pawl is moved forwardly, to turn theratchet wheel a short distance in a direction tending to rotate the axlein the same direction as it would be rotated by a forward movement ofthe traction wheels. On the under surface of the pawl 23 is a roundedlug 24. Supported in front of the ratchet wheel 21 is a slotted guidearm 25 having the pawl extended through it and so arranged that when thepawl is moved forwardly a short distance the lug 2% will engage thebottom of t-he slot and thus elevate the pawl out of engagement with theratchet wheel and hold it in said position. The forward end of the pawl23 is connected to a clevis 26 which clevis is attached to a double-tree27. This double-tree is provided on its under surface with a plate 23having its side mai'- gins extended downwardly and then inwardly. Thevehicle tongue is indicated by the numeral 29 and is provided with aplate 30 having its side margins extended upwardly and then outwardly toslidingly engage with the side margins of the plate 2S as clearly shownin Fig. 4t to thereby pro'- vide means whereby the double-tree 27 mayhave a forward and rearward movement on the tongue. Connected to theclevis 26 and to the guide arm 25 is a contractible coil spring 31 soarranged as to normally hold the double-tree at its rearward limit ofmovement. This spring, however, is drawn forwardly when the draftanimals attached to the double-tree are advanced. By this arrangement itis obvious that when the mower is stationary the pawl 23 is held at itsrearward limit of movement; then when the draft animals are advanced thepawl 23 will move the ratchet wheel. 21 a short distance before themowing machine begins to advance. This will have the effect of causingthe sickle bar to make one or more strokes and thus cut any grass orgrain that may be in position between the teeth thereof before themachine begins to advance. The entire pull of the draft animals upon thedouble-tree 27 when starting is applied direct to moving the sickle-barand when the sickle-bar has made one or more movements then the draftanimals advance the entire machine and the operation thereof afterstarting is exactly the same as without my attachment. Then when thedraft animals stop the spring 31 moves the pawl 23 rearwardly toposition for starting.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 2, I have illustrated a device forreturning the pawl 23 to its rearward limit by means of a manuallyoperated lever. This modification comprises a lever 32 fulcrumed to apart of the machine frame and connected by a link 33 with the clevis 2G.In use with this attachment and assuming that the machine is stationarythen the operator grasps the lever 32 and draws it rearwardly thuscausing the pawl 23 to be brought into engagement with 80 the ratchetwheel and its axle will be turned before the machine begins to advance.The lever and its link in this modification take the place of the spring31 before described.

In the modied form shown in Figs. 5 and g5 6, I have provided a lever`3lpivoted to the rear of the tongue and extended laterally. Connected tothe outer end of this lever is a contractible coil spring 35 attached tothe if lever and to the frame in the rear of the lever and a pawl 36pivoted to the lever and designed to engage the ratchet wheel 21.Mounted upon the tongue is a clevis 37 pivotally supported by the pin 3Sand extended TA downwardly. In this clevis is the doubletree 27 andbelow the double-tree is an arm 39 having a link l0 connected with itand attached to the lever 34. In this modification y the spring 35normally holds the pawl 3G and 151 the clevis 33 at their rearward limitof move- 100 ment, then the draft animals start, the clevis 37 swingsforwardly before the machine starts and this forward movement of^ theclevis causes the pawl 36 to move the 1atchet wheel a short distance,thus causing 105 the sickle-bar to be operated one or more strokesbefore the machine begins to advance.

In the modified form shownin Fig. 7, Ian have illustrated a device formanually turning the axle 10 while the mower is stationary. 11o Thisdevice comprises a ratchet wheel 21 fixed to the axle 10 and a lever 41fulcrumed to the casing surrounding the axle and pro-M vided with a pawl42 designed to engage@ with the ratchet wheel. Two stationary arms 43are fixed to the frame on opposite sides of the pawl 12 to thereby limitthe movement of said pawl. Then this modi-N fied form is used, theoperator may before* starting the machine first move the lever 41 120forwardly thus turning the axle 10 without turning the supporting wheelsand then when the machine is advanced the ratchet, wheel 21 may freelyrotate with the axle.

I have, in the accompanying drawings, illustrated my invention asapplied to a mowing machine. Obviously, however', the same device may beused in connection with any machine operated by power from a tractionwheel and I, therefore, in the accompanying claim do not desire to beunderstood as limiting my claim to the use of the invention as appliedto mowers.

I employ the term double-tree as descriptive of any kind of a means forconnecting draft animals with the machine for advancing it.

I claim as my invention.

In a machine of the class described, the combination of a machine frame,a rotatable axle, traction wheels mounted upon the axle for rotating itwhen they are moved forwardly, mechanism carried by the machine frameand capable of being operated by power from said axle, a ratchet wheelfixed to the axle, a gear case connected to the trame and arranged topass around the ratchet wheel, a slide-bar designed to extend throughsaid gear case and having a ratchet tooth thereon to engage said ratchetwheel and also having an inclined lug in advance of the ratchet toothdesigned to engage a part of said gear case, a clevis slidinglyconnected with the machine frame, said clevis being also connected withsaid slide-bar, and means for moving the clevis and slide-barrearwardly, said parts being so arranged that when the clevis andslide-bar are at their rearward limit of movement, the pawl will engagethe ratchet, and when the clevis and slide-bar are moved forwardly, theratchet wheel will be rotated and the axle will be rotated until the lugon the slide-bar strikes the adjacent portion of the gear case,whereupon the pawl will be elevated out of engagement with the ratchetwheel.

Des Moines, Iowa, May 29, 1908.

JOHN C. OLIVA.

lVitnesses H. J. TIMMERMAN, YV. FURoEsoN.

